Dearka's Personal Battle
by Lady Aduka
Summary: -HIATUS- Miriallia hated Dearka. Miriallia fascinated Dearka. And now that he's starting to know her bit by bit, he's determined to win her heart. But first, he must face a new threat that's bound to destroy his race. Which one will he choose?
1. Aftermath Of A Terrible Nightmare

**DEARKA'S PERSONAL BATTLE** by dark-oBsessiOn

**SUMMARY:** Miriallia hated Dearka. Miriallia fascinated Dearka. Dearka wanted to know more about her, so he joined the Archangel, in order to win her trust. Simple? Not! First he has to deal with Miriallia's broken heart…will he ever manage to make her love again after Tolle's death?  
  
**Author's note:** He he, Dylan here! I was starting to get hooked over Gundam Seed that I can't help writing just one little ficcy about it! I think this is the first-ever DearkaMiriallia fic here…cause all I see here that has Dearka in it are mostly yaoi…no offense to those writers! c",) Dearka's my second fave bishonen in the series (first one being Athrun Zala -swoons- I totally support him and Cagalli! Cagalli rox!! Athrun and Cagalli forever!!!), and I just love him and Miriallia together! Kawaii!! Hope you guys support this pairing!  
  
Now on with the story!!! Enjoy!!! C",

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-=**CHAPTER ONE**=-

  
  
**(Miriallia's POV)  
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**I always hated the Archangel's prison. To me, it looks so cold, surrounded with anxiety. Normally, I would've asked for a change in job but if you are working for the military, you'd get more than a sermon in exchange for my request.  
  
So I had no choice but to do as I was told.  
  
I could hear my footsteps echo across the metal floors of the place. The jail cells were all so dark, lifeless (A/N: What would you expect from a jail cell? Pink curtains and flowers in vases? Lol...me and my weird sense of humor.) and deserted – all except one.  
  
That captured mobile suit pilot.  
  
I was supposed to bring his food down here. Of all the jobs in the world, why this?!  
  
It was because of that pilot that my beloved friend perished in the battle against the Zaft forces. It was because of that creep that my Tolle's gone forever…it was because of him that I'm feeling so alone!!  
  
My hands tightened along the edges of the tray; I could feel my muscles wanting to lunge at that creep and tear his body from limb to limb. How I wanted to kill him on the spot…  
  
I was immersed in my thoughts so much that I never noticed that I was standing in front of his jail cell right after I gave him his meal. I looked up at him, and there he was – the blond devil was smirking at me.**(Dearka's POV)**It was her. I knew that she was going to come down here any minute. She is always the one who goes down here to deliver my food. Which leaves me wondering…  
  
Why won't the other crew members do it?  
  
Frankly speaking, I was getting tired of seeing her face; that stoic expression of hers everytime she comes down here. She's kinda smug…at least for me.  
  
But I got to admit that she's really cute.  
  
I watched her as she placed the tray on its designated spot, and then took one step back. This made me raise my eyebrow. Was she actually thinking that I was going to grab her from inside? Reality check there, missy. Did you see these bars? I can't do anything with them blocking my way!!!  
  
As much as I wanted to grumble and stuff, by doing so I would be acting like my old pal Yzak. So instead I decided to drop the thought and snap back to reality…  
  
…and I noticed that she was still standing there, staring at me. Wanting to piss her off a bit, I gave her my trademark smirk. And it worked. "Heh."**(Normal POV)**Dearka smirked at Miriallia, which boiled the teen's blood even more. Her stoic expression was replaced by an angry one in a second. "Come on, what's with the face? Haven't you seen a handsome guy smirk before?" he teased.  
  
Miriallia snapped at him, and started to make her way back to the deck. "Excuse me for saying this, but I'd rather drool over a dog than over someone as yourself." With this said, she began to walk away, leaving Dearka to enjoy his meal alone. "Thanks for the food!" he cried behind her, and he was left alone by the closing sound of the prison's sliding door.  
  
"Sigh…well, time to eat. I hope she didn't put any strange thing in here." Dearka sighed, and smiled. "Oh well, I won't be surprised if there was any. I was one of those people who bombarded this ship after all…"**-Flashback-**_Dearka was lying down on one of the beds of the clinic when he heard someone coming in.  
  
"I'll get the doctor so that he can prescribe you something to help you sleep. Meanwhile, you stay here, ok?"  
  
He listened for a while and heard the door close once again. Turning his head sideways, he saw who was probably the cutest girl he'd seen. Recalling for a while, she was the same girl that he saw when he was brought outside the room for the first time.  
  
The same girl that he called "cute". Well she was indeed one – but this time, her cheeks were tear-streaked.  
  
She noticed him lying down on one of the beds and immediately her grief changed to anger. It was unfortunate for Dearka that he doesn't know when not to piss a girl off.  
  
"Well, if it isn't you. As you can see, I can do nothing, handcuffed like this." He turned sideways to show her his handcuffed wrists. She remained stoic, and he noticed tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why are you crying? Is it because your natural boyfriend went out and died on you, huh?" Dearka emphasized on the word "boyfriend", which irritated the girl even more. The next thing he knew, she was standing beside him, holding a knife. Luckily he dodged in time.  
  
"Whoa, calm down lady!!" he cried.  
  
But in his state, he could do nothing but back away from the enraged crewmember. He managed to dodge again from her, but without getting his head wounded. It seemed that she managed to hit his forehead right before he slammed to the floor.  
  
It was then that someone came into the room, and one of them was the one who took her inside in the first place. He managed to restrain his friend right before she killed Dearka for good.  
  
"Miriallia, stop it!" The young man, Sai, was holding her back. She soon dropped her weapon, but tried to resist his effort.  
  
"Tolle's gone, and he's never coming back!! And this – this creep!" She glared down at him, "What's he doing here?!?!"  
  
It was then that Dearka realized that he made a wrong move.  
  
A VERY wrong move. God, when will I learn to keep my mouth shut?! He thought.  
  
Seconds later, all three of them heard the sound of a loading gun. A girl was on the doorway, holding it, pointing at his head!  
  
"All of you coordinators…" she growled, "…DESERVED TO BE KILLED!!!"  
  
She was about to pull the trigger, when Miriallia lunged at her in the nick of time. "Fllay, no!!"  
  
BANG!!  
  
The bullet hit one of the glasses at the ceiling, pieces of it raining down on them like tiny knives. The two women hit the floor at the same time, Fllay looking shocked. Above her, Miriallia was crying again. "Fllay, no…please stop it…I don't want to see anyone dying again…please…"  
_

_  
_**-End flashback-  
  
**  
Thinking about his near-death experience (he considered the incident as one) made him mumble to himself. "But I wasn't the one who killed that guy in the first place…will I ever manage to tell her that?" He mentally sighed. "I hope so…"  
  
Now he was wishing that dinner would arrive soon.

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And that's all for the first chapter!! Now it's up to you to give your comments, constructive criticism and suggestions about this fic, and rest assured that they will be appreciated!! They'll help in making this fic a better one in the upcoming chapters..so click that purple "GO" button now and review!! See you in the next chapter!! -Dylan 


	2. The Lone Meal Tray

**DEARKA'S PERSONAL ****BATTLE**– by: darkoBsessiOn

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**SUMMARY: **Miriallia hated Dearka. Miriallia fascinated Dearka. Dearka wanted to know more about her, so he joined the Archangel in order to win her trust. Simple? Not! First, he has to deal with Miriallia's broken heart…will he manage to make her love again after Tolle's death?

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Gundam Seed, capiche? Good. c",

**Author's notes: **Woo! It's nice to see you folks back here reading my fic again! But before we could get the ball rollin', I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed my first chappy! I'm happy that all of you liked the first chapter…and rest assured that there'll be more DxM action in the succeeding chappies. And kudos to Lomithiel too; I gotta admit that I forgot that part…hehe…but now that you mentioned it, I'll add that scene here, along with some of my ideas! I'm having my fingers crossed here, hoping that the mixture of them will work! Here's the second chapter! Enjoy!!

P.S. Oh yeah, my apologies for not mentioning the disclaimer before. Hope nobody will sue me for that…Lolz!

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**-=Chapter Two=-**

**(Normal POV)**

Miriallia went back to the command center, to find her friend Sai already working in his post. Remembering that it was already her shift, she started going towards her own booth and began doing her usual job.

"Where have you been, Milly?" Sai asked her, looking over his shoulder. "You didn't show up for lunch today."

"I was asked by the kitchen chef to deliver the food to the prisoner," she replied, while looking at some bars rising and falling on the monitor. "But don't worry, Sai. I'm not that hungry." She looked at him and flashed a small, yet sweet smile.

He sighed, realizing that he was getting worried over nothing. Ever since Tolle died, he never stopped worrying about her. He witnessed the pain and grief that Miriallia went through, and it was very understandable. Tolle's her special someone and it was just too much for her to handle. That's why seeing her smile again made him smile in relief.

_"I guess I was underestimating Milli too much..."._he thought. "_She's a strong girl; she can get over this soon…"_

Looking at the graphs that he was supposed to analyze, Sai went back to work. If their superiors catch him goofing off, who knows what will happen to him…

Meanwhile, back at the prison cell, Dearka was starting to get restless. The incident at the clinic days ago made him contemplate so much that his head was starting to hurt.

Back then, his mission was just to help Yzak and the others destroy the Archangel, until that Strike and its pilot showed and messed it all up.

No sooner had he started, he was caught and put into custody, while his pal escaped. Lucky him.

And that was it.

He never remembered killing someone! So why was that girl fuming over him?

"Arrgh!" The blond scratched his head irritably; tired of thinking too much and worrying over something he never did at the same time. "Once that girl comes down here again, I'm gonna ask her a few questions!"

**-Flashback-**

_"Tolle's gone, and he's never coming back! And this – this creep! What's he doing here?!?!'_

**-End flashback-**

Dearka pouted at the memory. "But how shall I ask her, then?"

Miriallia was starting to make her way to the ship's dining room when she spotted Fllay walking towards her with a downcast expression. The pretty redhead wasn't her usual self for days, and she was assuming that it was because of Kira's status as MIA (Missing in action). She remembered Kazui's story, when he told Fllay about what happened…

-**Flashback-**

_"Have you seen Kira? Is he back yet?" Fllay asked Kazui after the battle. The teenager looked at her looking heavyhearted, which made her heart skip a beat._

_Oh no…God please don't tell me…_

_"Kira isn't back yet," he replied monotonely, making her more impatient. _

_"What do you mean, he's not back yet? Where is Kira?!" She could sense that her voice was rising. Kazui had no choice but to go straight to the point._

_"He's MIA, which stands for 'Missing in Action'…Kira never came back, and the commander presumed that he's already dead…"_

_Her blue eyes dilated. "You're joking! Kira should be alive!!"_

_"Well I don't know if he is, okay?! Neither anyone on this ship knows…anyways, that's all I can tell you…"_

_With those words, Kazui left her outside, letting the sliding door close in front of her. Fllay could feel her arms getting numb, and she was at a loss for words…_

**-End Flashback-**

Sigh. "Poor Fllay. I know that she is more affected by Kira's disappearance than the rest of us..." The sliding door of the dining room opened and she stepped in, only to find that Sai and the others were not in there. "They must've eaten earlier…looks like I have to eat my meal all alone."

As Miriallia was about to take her meal, she noticed a single tray just a rack above hers. Curious as to whom the food belonged to, she asked the chef. "Excuse me, but there's a meal here that nobody else bothers to eat."

The chef stopped stirring and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, that? It's for the prisoner at the lower deck. Guess nobody's willing to give it to him…poor guy…does the crew hate that boy so much?"

His assistant chuckled. "Watch your mouth, Fred. You know how the Archangel feels about that mobile suit pilot. If you're too careless, you might just end up facing Lieutenant Badgiruel's wrath. Everybody knows she lives and does every word per word in the book."

"But still," the one who was chopping up the vegetables joined in the conversation. "That boy's still young. Younger than my son even; I'm guessing he's between 15-16…"

"So many youth are joining the military right now; too bad the battlefield's never nice for them. Wasting their lives for what they believe in…isn't that you and your friends' case, miss?"

When the three of them peeked to see if she's still there, they were greeted by the sight of a clean plate and a clean tray. "Man…she sure IS a soldier – having to eat that many in just a short while…" He leaned to the spot where Dearka's tray was before. "Guess she took the initiative to bring it to him…such a good girl."

Waiting for the next meal to arrive felt like an eternity to Dearka, as he kept pacing back and forth, taking occasional rests in between. He was entertained these past few hours by the clanging of the machinery that were fixing the ship, the yelling of the crewmembers, the sound of everything else around him…

…and to be honest, he was getting _quite _irritated.

He was thankful that they have imprisoned him there sometimes, for it gave him an opportunity to think things over. The location of the ship, for one thing. Ever since he was captured, he never heard of the latest things that were happening outside. If his memory serves him right, the Archangel stopped moving for about 3 days now. _(A/N: If my memory serves me right, the ship was in __Alaska__ when he was in jail…correct me if I'm wrong on this, and I'll change it immediately. Thanks in advance! C",)_ And he was uncertain of asking that girl for the details – for there's one in a million chances that she'd give her a straight answer.

That girl…she was the second thing that's boggling his mind. Will he ever manage to tell her that he's not the one who killed her boyfriend? Sure, she might be feeling upset about all that, and he understands it. But she should know soon that he's not the one responsible…

/KKSH…/

Light brightened the insides of the prison soon, as a shadow slowly approached his cell. Fearing that it might be one of the soldiers, Dearka immediately lie down on his bed and pretended to sleep…

"Dinnertime."

It's her! He immediately got up as Miriallia pushed the tray towards him, taking the previous one that she gave to him earlier. Her face was telling him that she's in no mood for a conversation, but she has to know the truth.

It's now or never, Dearka Elsman…

"Wait!" he held onto the bars, trying to catch her attention. "There's something I have to ask you!"

Miriallia stopped advancing towards the door and shot him a glare. "What now?"

"Er…it's about your boyfriend. You know, the Natural one? I, er…" _You shouldn't mess up on this, D-man…_he said to himself.

**(Miriallia's POV)**

"Er…it's about your boyfriend. You know, the Natural one?" That's what my ears heard, and they don't fail me.

This creep was trying to talk about _my _Tolle.

My conscience was already screaming for him to shut up, but seeing him stutter for the first time ever since I met him was more than enough to get my attention. "What about it?" I asked him, never forgetting to give him one of my "It's-not-your-business" looks.

"What mobile suit was he using?"

_Huh? _Now that was unexpected. "It's not a mobile suit…he was piloting the Archangel's Skygrasper 2…"

I leaned against the wall, as vivid images of Tolle volunteering in the past came back to me. When he first left his post at the command center and told Ms. Murrue that he wants to have a go at the fighter jet, I know that life will never be the same again for me…

**(Dearka's POV)**

I sighed inwardly; I was afraid that she'd ignore me again. When she mentioned that it wasn't a mobile suit, I was positive that I wasn't the culprit at all. But…"Skygrasper?" I asked her.

"Un…you know the blue and white jet. He was piloting that fighter jet when he died…" She leaned against the wall beside my cell, taking on that look of depression again. Something inside me was telling me from the start that I shouldn't talk further, and I can tell that she was having a hard time talking about this…

But wait…

A blue and white jet…

_Was that the same jet that was headed to Athrun's direction before? _I tried my best to recall the events…for sure I saw a blue and white jet heading straight to the place where the Strike and Aegis were fighting…

If that is so…

…it only meant one thing…

I looked at the side, for I was starting to guess who truly killed the pilot. As much as I wanted to tell her, I don't want to make things harder for her…

**(Normal POV)**

Dearka looked away, as Miriallia looked at him, waiting for him to say something.

"It wasn't me who killed him," he spoke in an honest tone, and it was then that Miriallia, for the first time, felt ashamed for herself. She had blamed the wrong person…but as much as she wanted to say something, her pride won't let her do things her way.

Realizing that she still has to finish the rest of her duties, she made her way outside…but not before giving the boy a second glance. He was still looking away…and she took this opportunity to tell him something…

"Thank you for telling me…" she said in an audible voice, and right before Dearka could answer her back, the sliding door beat him to it. Darkness returned once more in the prison cell, yet deep inside him, he was seeing a whole new light…

Maybe things will work out between him and her soon…

But still…can he manage to break the ice between them?

Dearka grinned, happy with the talk that he started. "Good job soldier," he told himself, as he lied down on his bed and soon succumbed into the world of dreams…

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And that's all for the second chapter! I know some of you are getting impatient and are waiting for some DxM romance, but hey! Good things come in small packages…see ya in the next chappy!! -Dylan 


	3. Attack!

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DEARKA'S PERSONAL ****BATTLE**** – **by: darkoBsession

**SUMMARY: **Miriallia hated Dearka. Miriallia fascinated Dearka. Dearka wanted to know more about her, so he joined the Archangel in order to win her trust. Simple? Not! First, he has to deal with Miriallia's broken heart…will he make her love again after Tolle's death?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Hello guys, and once again, welcome to the next chapter of DPB! Once more, thank you to all those who reviewed, and kudos once again to **Lomiothiel** (My apologies for misspelling your name before…-smiles sheepishly-) Thanks for the info!! And also, a big, hearty "THANK YOU!" to all those who added me to their author alert list! (bows down) There are big plans in store for this fic, and I hope that you guys'll still be there to send in your reviews and make comments and suggestions about it! So without delay, here's chapter three! Enjoy!!!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Gundam Seed, cause if I do, I won't share Athrun and Dearka with anyone!! Muwahaha! See how evil I am?? –winks-

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**-=CHAPTER THREE=-**

An eerie feeling descended upon the Alaska headquarters, sending all crew and military personnel into a panicking frenzy…

Word has it that ZAFT is apporaching from all around them, planning to bombard the base, in lieu of Operation Spitbreak…

As usual, the Archangel was thrusted into the front lines to battle against them, and for the first time, the ship's captain Murrue found herself commanding all alone.

Mwu La Fllaga and Combat Commander Natarle Badguirel were transferred to another place, along with Fllay Allster…with the loss of their two best crewmembers, she wasn't sure if they could defeat the enemies.

Not to mention the loss of pilots Kira and Tolle…

The auburn-haired captain tried to maintain her cool on the outside, suppressing all of her sorrows. Right now the Archangel's fate – and Alaska's as well – depended on her…

"Captain, enemy mobile suits approaching from above!"

"Incoming missiles!!"

BOOM! Several of them hit the ship from the left, making it tilt sidewards. All of them cried and tried their best to counterattack. If she doesn't do anything soon, they will all end up as garbage down the ocean floor…

_Wake up to reality, Murrue…_

"All hands, level one battlestations! Prepare the Gottfrieds! Ready…FIRE!!!"

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Gunfire sounds all over…the crashing of missiles against the Archangel's exterior…all of these are starting to make Dearka sick with worry. Dust continues to fall from the ceiling and the ship never stops shaking due to the blasts. It wasn't like that he cared whether the ship would collapse or not…

Rather, he was more worried for himself.

"When will I be able to get out of here, anyways?" he grumbled, only to be answered by a loud "BOOM!" coming from outside. Dearka had to cover his ears to minimize the noise. His thoughts soon focused on the cute auburn-haired girl, and began to wonder if she's luckier than he is now. With all of the fighting that is going on outside, it'll be even harder for her to forget all that had happened days ago.

His eyes soon travelled to the clattered meal tray that she gave him before the attacks, and let out a sigh.

He had this feeling that he wanted to see her again. He had this urge to go up to her and ask the question that he forgot to ask her from the very beginning…

…her name.

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"WHAT?!"

Back at the bridge, Murrue and the rest of the crew were shocked at 3 things: one, the unexpected return of Mwu La Fllaga, two, the sudden appearance of Kira Yamato boarding a new mobile suit, and three…

"It's true, Murrue! The Alaska headquarters is planning to activate their secret weapon below the base! The moment it begins, all that's within the 10-km radius will be vaporized! You have to get out of here!" the blond lieutenant exclaimed, beads of sweat tricking down the sides of his face.

"But what about the Earth Forces who are still fighting?" one of them asked. Mwu looked at him, remorse in his eyes. "They don't care whether their soldiers will get caught in the blast or not. It seems that they're waiting for the enemy to gather at the base, and then they will activate Cyclops."

"Cyclops? The secret weapon, Cyclops?"

Kira gasped in his cockpit. If that is so, not only the enemies will get killed, but also those soldiers who knew nothing of the sort. Wasting no time, he began to open the communication lines….

"Attention, all Zaft mobile suits and Earth Alliance pilots! A dangerous weapon is about to be initiated by the Alaska Headquarters, and I'm calling everyone to withdraw from the battlefield!"

All of them stopped fighting when they heard Kira speak. Back at the Zaft's side, one thing was boggling their minds…why would the enemy warn them?

Even though Kira was telling the truth, unfortunately, one mobile pilot was too hardheaded to listen. "And why should we believe you, pilot?!" he lunged at Freedom to deliver a massive blow, but the Gundam avoided it in time.

"Archangel, you have to escape now! Hurry, I'll cover you!"

****

Soon, a loud explosion was heard, as the Alaska headquarters already activated Cyclops.

A powerful radiation began seeping its way out onto the ground, killing all of the Zaft soldiers and the Earth Alliance fleet in one blow…as well as the innocent civilians who were trying to evacuate the cities. Buildings and homes were shattered, as the headquarters itself exploded.

All of the survivors beyond were awestruck and tried to escape, but even those who were at sea were not excused. One by one, the mobile suits went down, with the desperate cries of its pilots…

"Oh no…." was all Murrue could say, as she witnessed the mass murder that their "superiors" had started. Nothing could be heard from the crew; all of the sounds came from the cries of their enemies and allies, and the explosion of their mobile suits.

Then she stood up:

"Attention, all crewmembers! From this moment on, the Archangel will break away from the Earth Forces as a neutral ship! And I, Murrue Ramius, shall take full responsibility for all that will happen in the future!" Everyone were taken aback and surprised by this sudden comment.

"You don't have to put pressure on yourself…." Mwu told her.

_Right now, it's the wisest decision to make. To save this ship and its crew…._Murrue thought. "Now! Maximum speed! We're going to get out of here!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The captain motioned to Kira. "Kira, you get out of here as well!" Kira nodded and boosted its speed to maximum. While fleeing, he managed to save a mobile suit from the lightning-like radiation as it hurled its way behind them…

…until at last, they managed to escape, and they were out of the 10-km radius. The Archangel looked back at the place they used to call their base, as it went down…

…and once more, they managed to cheat death in the battlefield…

****

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Dearka was relieved when the bombings stopped, and suddenly he felt the ship come to a halt. _Now where was he? _

It would've helped him a lot if there are any windows in his cell, but it seemed that the ones who planned the ship's interior were a bit merciless towards its soon-to-be captives. So, he had no choice but to sit on his bed, like he always did countless times whenever it seemed that he had nothing to do. Sit and lay down there, staring at the ceiling, daydreaming of things that he wanted to do once he was set free…

…and daydream of her…

…for him, that cute girl was a complete mystery. Her green eyes suggest that she had seen and lived through many good and bad times. And she was missing those times when all she ever did was to smile and laugh and simply have fun…

It was just a shame that she had to be dragged into the harshness of war.

The loss of her Natural boyfriend, the intense fights that she experiences everyday…

Dearka was guessing that she was around the same age as his. _Still young, eh?_He mentally asked himself, as he continued to stare at the cold metal ceiling of his cell. He then remembered the still unfetched meal tray by his bedside, and smirked.

For right now, he was praying to the gods that she'll be the one who will give him his meal again…

"Boy, Yzak will surely snicker when he hears that I've prayed to something that doesn't exist for the first time…"

****

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And that's all for chapter three! I know that some of you will be disappointed cause there's not much interaction between our two main characters, but I have to base on the anime's plot. It won't be for long though, I promise! Otherwise, this whole fic's gonna get boring, ne? Well, it seemed kinda boring for now, but it won't be in the next chappies! Hope that you guys will still be there to read 'em!

That's all for now; don't sneak read please…(puppy eyes) Please review and tell me what you think or what your suggestions are! They will be highly appreciated…see y'all in Chapter 4!

-dyLan


	4. For The Sake Of Her Hometown

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DEARKA'S PERSONAL ****BATTLE**** – **by: darkoBsessiOn

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Hello everybody! Lolz, I believe that there's no need to mention the summary here, ne? (winks) It's nice to see you back here again to read the next installment of DPB! Once again, a big "THANK YOU!" to all those who reviewed and voiced out their opinions! Thanks also to those who added me to their favorite authors' and author alert lists! (My apologies for my slow update…I believe that's one of the major disadvantages of juggling fics with schoolwork…but I know you guys understand, after all you still attend school, right? :)

Okies, don't want to make you all impatient due to my random babbles! Here's chapter four! I won't repeat the disclaimer again, okies? Enjoy!!

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**-CHAPTER FOUR-**

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**(Miriallia's POV)**

Days have passed ever since Kira has returned to us, and yet I feel nothing but constant worry. As I look at the faces of my friends and of my superiors, I can clearly see that they were relieved. And who wouldn't be after seeing him battle? He _never _lost a single one! Kira always got Archangel out of sticky situations before… 

…yet, some of it cost the lives of some people that I know…

I flopped down on the soft mattress of my bed, looking at the gray metal frame above me. Typing all day back at the bridge sure is exhausting, that's for sure. My muslces slowly relaxed the moment I sunk into its softness, and I suddenly had this urge to sleep.

That's when my mind was flooded with thoughts. Everything I see around me always brings back memories…like this bed for instance. I used to share this bed, and this room with Fllay, that is until she started attaching herself to Kira…I closed my eyes, remembering all the rumors that I heard that the two _actually _slept together…

…eew. That thought alone gives me the shivers. _Sleeping with a man on the same bed!?!_

I have to admit that it's simply disgusting. Not that I'm disgusted of Kira or anything…

…_Kira. _I could never forget how he looked when he returned…aside from the fact that he was wearing the enemy's uniform… As I came up close to greet him, for a moment he looked exactly like Tolle…they had the same pair of innocent, yet caring eyes.

_Tolle's eyes…_the eyes that I used to love gazing into when we were back at Orb…

Thinking of Tolle always bring tears onto my eyes. I wiped them away slowly with the back of my hand, and just in time as the sliding door opened to reveal my friend Sai.

"Miriallia, we're all called at the hangar by Capt.Ramius. Let's go."

"What a pain," I mumbled the moment the door slid close. "Just when I was about to rest." My body found it hard to leave its sanctuary, and I fought its desire to stay longer. I watched as the door slid open in front of me, and that's when I wondered…

_Why would Murrue call all of us?_

* * *

I got my answer pretty soon enough…

We were assembled at the hangar, Murrue and the others were standing in front, and the former had this look on her face which screams of bad news all over. Minutes slowly ticked by as she explained the reason, and then some…

"…those of you who wish to leave the Archangel, you are free to do so. Just follow the rules of evacuation set by the government of Orb and you'll do just fine." Murmurs were heard from some of us, which quickly died down.

Murrue smiled. "I know I may be not the most reliable of all captains, yet I'm very honored and thankful to have worked with you all. Whether you stay or you leave, this is the decision in which you must decide on your own."

After saying that, much to our surprise, she bowed down politely before us…

Whoa…I don't get it…she's allowing us to flee from the ship?!

I fought the urge to react, for I know my questions will be answered soon. But still…who would have the heart to abandon Archangel in times like these? We're in the middle of a war…and with enemies popping out of nowhere almost everyday, the ship needs as many crewmembers as possible…

_Why are you doing this, __Captain __Ramius?_

****

**

* * *

**

**(Normal POV)**

Murrue soon ended their general assembly, and Miriallia quickly motioned to Sai and Kazui. The latter looked too happy all of a sudden, and she was positive why. 

Kazui's going to leave the ship.

Moments later, after getting his things all packed up, the black-haired boy looked at Sai who was standing by the doorway. "Are you sure you don't wanna come?" he asked.

He shook his head. "Yes I'm sure. I'm going to stay here with the others." He patted his friend on the shoulder and smiled at him. Somehow he feels that this is going to be their last encounter. "You be careful out there."

The boy was silent for a few moments, then spoke. "What about Miriallia? Isn't she leaving?"

"Miriallia's going to stay as well – "

"Then I guess I must stay too…" he suddenly told him. "After all, you are all here."

"No," Sai told him firmly. "You made that decision on your own, Kazui; don't base your acts on what we decided for ourselves. Never mind what others think or say, and never let them influence you... Now, you be careful out there and take care of yourself until we meet again, okay?"

With a nod, Kazui agreed, although he kind of regretted what he had done. Saying one last goodbye, he walked away and never looked back…

* * *

Seeing some bright lights after such a long time sure had its effects on Dearka's eyes. He narrowed his eyes for some time as he walked through the Archangel's corridors, wearing his old Zaft uniform. His mind was still flooded with questions – questions that intrigued him for some time. Like that auburn-haired girl, Miriallia…

…somehow, he was thankful that he finally managed to get her name…

Pretty soon, his feet led him to the exit. Miriallia told him moments ago that he was free to go, since they weren't a part of the Earth forces anymore. They were a neutral fleet. Yet, he was sure that the order didn't came from the captain herself. Then…who could have given her the right to set him free?

It took him a while before he finally realized. Smirking, he gave the ship and its interior one last look as the doors slowly opened before him.

"Man, I've got to thank that girl the moment I see her again. I owe her big time…although they never returned my Buster to me…"

-FLASHBACK-

_Dearka was about to get out of his jail cell, the pit that he considered his home for some time, and raced after Miriallia. "Hey! What about my Buster?"_

_Miriallia turned to look at him, as she was about to get out. "You mean the mobile suit? That was ours to begin with, so technically, we don't have any reason of returning it to you."_

_Hearing this made him pout, and the girl left him to ponder on his own thoughts._

-END FLASHBACK-

Dearka looked around the city of Orb for a while, enjoying the peace that he never managed to experience for so long ever since he joined the military. The atmosphere was strange to him, yet it never felt so good. It was soothing to see all the smiling faces of the people in it…

…which made him revert his thoughts back to his savior…

His attention was fixed then to a group of teenagers giggling as they walked past a music store, chattering on what seemed to be their favorite hits that they just purchased. "Miriallia was enjoying this kind of life right before this whole fiasco started," he said to himself wistfully. "It was just unfortunate that she had to be involved in the middle of this…but after all that's happened, I think that it's the only solution if she wants to stay alive for long…"

More giggling were heard from behind him, as another group of teenage girls were smiling in his direction. Dearka looked down and thought of the possible reason: wearing a skin-tight mobile suit uniform sure boasted his well-muscled body more. As much as it was flattering, it was also disturbing. Luckily there's a clothes store behind them, and smiled.

Right before he entered the store, he gave the girls a very sexy smirk, causing them all to swoon. "Always works every time," he chuckled, then thought of the time when he gave the same smirk to Miriallia, and face faulted. "Well…almost. Sigh…"

(A/N: I know this might sound strange, but how the heck did Dearka got his set of clothes after he was released? (You know, the white polo, white pants attire?) Lolz, I have to think of something, and this sounds realistic enough. How about you guys? Got any theories? Let's discuss it in the reviews pages! -smiles-)

* * *

Back at the Archangel, the people were working triple time in anticipation of the enemy's assault. The hangar crew were busy with their last minute check-ups on the mobile suits, especially the Freedom's pilot Kira. Meanwhile, the people at the command center were in the same situation as well. That is the reason why Miriallia and Sai, both promoted from their former designations, were typing furiously on their posts, arranging everything that has to be arranged. (A/N: Lol, that sounded kinda funny. I hope you guys can forgive me for that, after all I typed this chapter in the middle of the night…-big sweatdrop-)

Pretty soon, they got the signal from the Orb forces…the Azrael fleet were a few miles away, closing in on their borders. Immediately, Murrue took command, as as usual, Kira and Mwu were sent out, helping the Orb fleet in defeating their adversary – a threat to their neutrality.

But it seemed that the fight's gonna take longer than they estimated. As Kira blasted one of his opponents, the suit's blasted hole revealed 3 navy ships, dispatching 3 unusual machines…and it wasn't long before he experienced what they had to offer…

* * *

Back at Orb, widescreen TVs all over the city were announcing the immediate evacuation of its citizens. People rushed and panicked, vehicles were jamming the main roads causing a huge traffic, and the city was bustling with so much activity. Dearka raced back to the docks where the Archangel was supposed to be, but found out that it already set sail along with the nation's marine fleet. 

The force of the explosions sent him sliding back a few inches, and he focused on the current status of the battle – the new mobile suit Freedom was being ganged up by three entirely powerful mobile suits. The Orb fleet's quickly losing its forces. The whole battle's quickly becoming one-sided.

Dearka looked around and saw a nearby speedboat, enough to take him to the ship. Looks like he's gonna be reunited with his Buster once more…

-FLASHBACK- 

_Miriallia was about to go back to the bridge when Dearka grabbed her arm. Annoyed, she faced him. "What?"_

_"Aren't you going to evacuate as well?" he asked her. _

_She hastily pulled her arm away from his grasp. "Of course not. I have to stay here, I'm in charge of the __Archangel__'s CIC!"_

_Dearka was speechless for a while, unsure of what to say. Moments later, Mirialia stopped in her tracks and continued, "Besides, Orb is my homeland…" and walked away._

_"Orb is her homeland?" he asked himself. "Miriallia…she wanted to take part in protecting her home…"_

-END FLASHBACK-

"Captain, we've just received a report that the Buster just launched!" 

"What?! That's impossible!!" 

Miriallia stopped typing for a while when she heard the news. She knew the only person capable of piloting the mobile suit besides Kira and Mwu. _"Maybe it's that guy...but he's already free to go...why is he doing this??" _

* * *

The Buster was soon ashore, aiming at the mobile suits which are targeting the Legged Ship. Inside the cockpit, Dearka's eyes flashed with determination, as he targeted one of the mobile suits... 

__

_For the sake of this place...for the sake of her comrades..._

__

_This is for you, Miriallia!_

__

****

**TARGET LOCKED...**

"You're all going down!!" 

__

**__**

**__**

**__**

* * *

Well, that's all for the first part of chapter four! Hopefully I can post the next chappy by next month, which will feature the last few moments of the story that's based on the anime's plot...and a prologue of what's to be expected between Miriallia and Dearka! Hopefully you guys are still there to read and review...so until then...see y'all in chapter 5! 


	5. Someday For Sure

****

DEARKA'S PERSONAL BATTLE by: LadyAduka02 

**Author's notes: **Hey guys, nice to see you all again in this chappy! I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed the previous chappy, and also kudos to Aurora – hehe, the reason I write my author's notes at the beginning is to give credit and acknowledge all of those who reviewed as a sign of my appreciation. My reviewers are my first priority, after all if it weren't for you guys I wouldn't be writing the next chappies, ne? I don't mean to offend, in fact I'm thankful for your suggestion…but I was used to writing my stories' chappies that way. :) Peace!

As promised before, here's chapter five! Enjoy! ;-)

**

* * *

**

**-oCHAPTER FIVEo-**

****

The battle that raged between the Archangel and the OMNI fleet was perhaps one of the most intense battles that the pilots ever fought. With the addition of 3 new formidable mobile suits, the Freedom was burdened more, and Kira found it extremely difficult when they were all attacking him simultaneously.

Back ashore, Dearka was giving back-up support for the Coordinator, blasting the minor suits that dared come close to either him, Kira or the ship…

…while in the bridge, Miriallia was tracking his every move, hearing his shouts and cries through the Buster's audio link.

Athrun, who appeared out of the blue before, was aiding his best friend fight the 3 suits. As the battles raged on, Murrue felt that they were still in a fix, even though they received much more help from the 2 Zaft pilots. One, because it seems that the pilots of the enemy doesn't seem to be Naturals at all…

Kira was about to strike the green mobile suit, when it evaded in the nick of time. The next thing he knew, he was hit from behind, and if it weren't for Athrun's aid he would've been long gone.

Both pilot and gundam looked at each other with neither fear nor hatred in their eyes. Silent stares that shouted of appreciation and gratitude. The two men smiled at each other, and finally, they were reunited at last…and for the first time, fighting for the same cause…

* * *

Kira finished the last adjustments for Freedom and wiped the sweat off his brow. He watched in amusement as to how it floated in midair like a transparent pearl. They were in outer space now, and was about to face the biggest battle of their career.

_After all of these, everything will be over_, he told himself. _I can go back to being an ordinary civilian…but so many things had happened, and I doubt that moving on will be easy…_

* * *

That goes for a certain auburn haired girl too… 

Miriallia was gazing at the stars – those ugly chunks of rocks that shine brightly back on Earth – with a nostalgic expression. Tolle would have loved to gaze at them too if he were alive. She sighed, knowing fully well what he would say…

_"Amazing!__ Would you believe that they looked like diamonds in the night sky back at Earth?"_ Then he would smile at them like a kid on his first trip to the carnival, and then he would turn to her and smile the same…

She looked at the frame beside her bed, and it showed the 6 of them: her, Tolle, Sai, Kazui, Kira and Fllay – posing for the camera. Miriallia slid her index finger on the spot where Tolle was, a single tear managing to escape her eyes. With a heavy heart, she let go of the picture and continued to gaze into the darkness of space – in her mind that Tolle was somewhere out there, gazing with her…smiling at her…always with her…

Meanwhile, Dearka was on his way back to the hangar to make some adjustments for Buster when something wet hit his cheek…kinda salty…_tears..?_

He turned his head to where the tear came from and there she was – Miriallia – her petite face reflecting onto the glass, and it wouldn't take a genius to see that she was indeed crying silently.

_She's crying over that Tolle guy again…_

A tinge of pain stabbed him emotionally, and he averted his gaze, as the wooden frame of Milly's picture hit him gently on the side of his head. Dearka never hesistated to look at it…and it was the first time that he ever saw Tolle…

_He kinda looks like Kira…and Miriallia looked so happy in his company…_

"What are you doing with my momento?"

He snapped to full attention when she talked to him. She was trying to look stern – if it wasn't for the tear streaks down her cheeks. The edges of her eyes are still glistening with the salty liquid, and she was fighting not to let them loose.

"I, er…" he stammered. "I was on the way to the hangar when it hit me. Here," and he handed her the frame. "You guys looked happy in there."

Miriallia snatched it away from him. "We were happy," she told him, her eyes fixing onto Tolle's. "Too bad that we won't be as happy after all of these things finally come to an end…"

He glanced at the frame. "Is that Tolle guy the one beside you?"

"Uh huh."

"He seemed really nice," Dearka complimented, smiling. His eyes averted on the floor, as if something on it was amusing him so much. "No wonder you fell in love with him that hard. It was just a pity that he had to go – "

"I never remembered asking for your opinion," Miriallia snapped. She then stepped out of her room, and the sliding door closed with a "ssh". She immediately turned her back onto him and walked away.

"Miriallia, wait!" Dearka tried to gain her attention once more, to say that he was sorry…but she was immediately gone. His apology was carried by the cold wind that gently breezed through the place, and his eyes maintained their apologetic expression. He was trying to make friends with her…and yet his efforts never paid off. The tiny pain that he felt before soon became a wave of agony, and Dearka silently cursed Tolle, asking himself what the Natural had that he doesn't have…

…what made Miriallia fall for him…

…will he ever get the chance to say what he truly feels for her?

* * *

The signal alarm was suddenly rung, along with the voice of Murrue commanding all soldiers to be in their posts.

Dearka was soon in the cockpit of his gundam, making sure that everything is in its finest condition.

He could see Kira and Athrun already preparing for take off, and on the other side of the hangar, a blonde girl was cheering them on…it was Kira's supposedly twin sister, Cagalli. Dearka noticed the gazes that she was giving to Athrun, which he interpreted as looks of love. _Heh, so the Orb princess is in love with Zala…_he smirked. _Interesting…_

_And you were wishing that Miriallia was giving you those looks right now, am I right Dearka? _A part in his mind teased him. He scowled on how annoying his conscience could be, and he countered with a _"As long as I can still fight with my mobile suit, I can gain those looks from her!"_

_I can protect her with my fighting skills…_

_…after all, she was the reason why I am here…_

_I want to protect Miriallia…_

The hatch of his cockpit slowly closed. Dearka closed his eyes, remembering Tolle's and Miriallia's faces on the picture…

_Guess I'll be protecting your girl for now, Tolle my man…hope you don't mind me doing that…_

* * *

"Buster, everything's clear. Get ready for take off," Miriallia said to him through the audio link. "Be careful out there…"

…and that was all that Dearka needed to ensure his victory…her concern…

"This is Dearka Elsman, Buster now launching…Go!!"

…......

_That's right…_

_I'll keep on fighting until I win her trust…that way…I'm sure that she'll soon like me too…_

_…and maybe I can make her forget about Tolle…_

* * *

The enemy mobile suits are in sight. Dearka grinned, determination and hope in his eyes…__

_It may not be today, not tomorrow…but someday…someday for sure…_

_Miriallia will fall for me too…_

* * *

And that's part two! Oops, don't leave yet, cause there's still another chapter waiting for you, and it's my promised prologue! (random people cheer) Before anything else, how did you find this chapter? Review please! Thousand domos! 

…and if you're finished, onwards to the prologue! XD

Hope you enjoy the 2nd installment! Dylan


	6. PROLOGUE: New Beginnings

**DEARKA'S PERSONAL BATTLE: **by LadyAduka02

**New Summary: **New beginnings, undying feelings...Dearka still likes Miriallia, Miriallia still loves Tolle. 5 years have passed, but fate never took its eyes off them...and they met once more in the most surprising of ways in the midst of their totally opposite lives...

**Author's notes: **Hey, it's nice to see you once again everyone! Hope you like the 2nd installment of this fic, and it all starts here...the prologue! Thank you to all those who reviewed! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gundam Seed, as well as "My Boo" by Usher and Alicia Keys...okies? Good. (nn)

**

* * *

**

**-oPROLOGUEo-**

_  
5 years later..._

_The was was over at last and they are now living in peace..._

_Yet, deep within the heart of a certain Natural, peace seems like an impossible dream to fulfill..._

..._for within her memory, the face of a special someone still exists..._

..._and it's keeping her from attaining true bliss..._

* * *

The sun was rising over the new Orb city, and its gentle rays passed through the windows of the room of a now 20-year old Miriallia Haww. She was tossing and turning in her sleep, her hands clutching the rose bedsheets beneath her. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead and slid down her neck...and she woke up screaming... 

"TOLLE!!"

It took her a while to realize that it was just a dream...a nightmare. Miriallia looked around her room slowly, and saw that the place was slowly getting brighter. The radio clock beside her suddenly came to life, playing an RnB song, as the LCD displayed 6:00 a.m. "It's already morning," she mumbled and stood up to open the curtains wide.

"Ah!" she gasped at the beauty of the morning sky; the sky was a clear blue, the clouds were extra fluffy and were in a brilliant combination of white and baby blue, and the sun was a brilliant shade of golden yellow. She pushed the white curtains apart and opened her sliding windows, letting the cool morning breeze blew past her now long auburn tresses.

The wind blew past some of the shopping lists that she was planning last night, scattering them across the room. She quickly gathered them all together, and pinned them down her desk with a cute angel figurine right beside her desk lamp.

Her green eyes fell upon the same picture frame from 5 years ago; it was still with her after all these years. She managed to put on a smile upon seeing Tolle and her...those moments were the ones that she'll never ever forget.

"_I miss you, Tolle..." _the smile from before was replaced by a sad look and a teardrop sliding down her cheeks and falling on the angel's head. "_I wish you were still here with me..."_

In the background, the pop song stopped playing, and the DJ spoke, "And that was _My Boo_, the hit RnB single that's currently sweeping the entire globe. Time check now, it's already 6:06 a.m, and good morning Orb City! This is your DJ Nick taking over the airwaves on an early Monday..."

**

* * *

**

**PLANTS **colony, Cosmic era 76...

A black limousine halted in front of one of the place's most important buildings, and camera flashes started to illuminate the place. One of the men graciously opened the door, allowing the passengers to step out. More camera flashes followed, as the subjects were PLANTS' 2 most important people: Yzak Jule and Dearka Elsman. After the war, they took part in rebuilding the trust that almost disappeared between the Coordinators and the Naturals.

And it was no exaggeration when anyone said that they did a great job.

The subject of their appearance was to discuss their departure for Earth for their state visit. Furthermore, the other causes are to strengthen the relationship between the Coordinators and the Naturals, remove discrimination between the two groups and to promote peace. (A/N: If these got you confused, think of Relena Peacecraft's duties as Vice Foreigh Minister. nn)

A seemingly old man wearing a black tuxedo escorted the two into the press room, where the press was waiting for them. Dearka mentally sighed and looked at his partner. Yzak, however, never lost his stoic and authoritive expression, and he faced the people with that same look that he possessed 5 years ago. Upon taking their respective seats, the people began asking their questions, leaving them tired the moment it all ended. They asked the limo driver to take them to the space port, and inside the vehicle Dearka can't help but whine.

"Man, I thought that those pressmen won't let us leave." He pouted at the questions that they asked him, some bordering on his personal affairs. "And they never knew when to stop."

"They're just doing their duties," Yzak answered in a-matter-of-fact tone, "And so are we. So why don't you accept the reality of our positions and keep quiet?"

"I can't help it...somehow I miss fighting with my Buster." He looked outside the window and watched the city lights illuminate the place like Christmas lights. "But I can't deny the fact that I love the peace that I'm currently experiencing..."

"You and your nostalgic nonsense," the silver-haired boy snapped at him. Silence then dominated the two men, as the driver said that they're approaching the space port.

"_At last I'm going back to Earth," Dearka told himself. "It has been 5 long years...Miriallia...I wish I could see you again..."_

* * *

And that's all for the prologue! I bet that you are dying to know how the two will meet! Hope you enjoyed this prologue, and if you did please leave a review! (nn) 

See y'all in chapter 6!

-Dylan


	7. Yuki no Ame

**Dearka's Personal Battle** – by: LadyAduka02

**Summary**: 5 years have passed since the war, and Dearka and Miriallia were now living the lives they chose. After all that happened, they thought that they would never come across each other again…but fate can be playful sometimes…

**Author's Notes**: Hey everyone, it's nice to see you all in this chappy! Before I forgot, I edited the previous chapter a bit so that you won't be confused when you read this. It was so hard to think of the perfect job for Miriallia (one that will suit her perfectly), that's why to save myself from the thought, I made her jobless! (sweatdrop) Once more, I would like to thank all those who reviewed, and gave their comments about this fic! (n---n) I'm glad that you liked it so far! So without further ado, I hereby present to you the 7th chapter! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Gundam Seed…thank Kami! And I don't own "Honky Tonk" as well. It's from GetBackers, which I don't own as well. Poor me…(T.T) Hehehe…Enjoy!

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

The space ship that's carrying the 2 diplomats from PLANTS landed safely along Orb's runway. Inside, Yzak was talking to someone on the phone, while Dearka was looking outside the window, reminiscing the last time that he stepped foot on Earth soil.

"…I got it. Make sure to keep things safe while we're away." The scarless Yzak turned off his cellphone and looked at his friend. "What's so interesting about outside that's getting your attention, Dearka?"

The blond snapped out of his momentary trance and turned to him. "Oh…nothing. It's just that I never expected that we'll return to Orb once more. This place brings back so many memories, you know."

"If I knew that's the thing that's getting your attention, I shouldn't have asked you in the first place." He rolled his eyes, and the serenity that prevailed inside was interrupted by the attendant telling them to prepare everything before they disembark. Yzak stood up as soon as the ship skidded to a halt.

"Dearka! Do you have any plans of leaving, or are you going to let your behind sleep on you?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming, sheesh!" He abruptly stood up and followed his comrade down the ship, to be greeted by the country's foreign affairs minister.

**oOo**

_"…meanwhile, in our metro news: PLANTS' 2 diplomats, Dearka Elsman and Yzak Jule just arrived this morning, in lieu of their project to strengthen the bond between Earth and the colonies. After their space ship landed on Orb's space port, their limousine took them straight to the Parliament building where they are going to meet with __Prime Minister __Cagalli__Yula__Attha__…"_

The huge plasma TV in the middle of the city was airing the said news, but the sound was overpowered by the loud buses and cars speeding down the city's main streets. People all over were busy thinking what to buy for the upcoming Christmas season. As soon as the news was over, the TV played a Christmas song sung by none other than the pink-haired princess Lacus Clyne.

Miriallia looked up from her Christmas list to see her, still beautiful as ever. Certain thoughts came back along with that face: the moment they shared aboard the Archangel, the war they faced, the joy they felt when they won the war.

And the sadness they felt when they had to go on their separate ways.

Sai left to work for a publishing company as a professional photographer. Cagalli parted with her friends to take on the role that her father left – as Prime Minister of Orb. Lacus went back to being a pop icon, garnering a lot of awards after a short time for her songs. Kira was now working as a trainer in the military; he's now aiding Naturals on how to pilot certain mobile suits…

The young woman breathes out a sigh, a puff of smoke coming out of her mouth. It was lonely without her friends beside her…

…without Tolle.

Miriallia shook her head and glanced at the list. "Better get this finished." …

…for she was aware of the tears in her eyes…

**oOo**

The meeting finally ended between the two officials, and the diplomats were given time to relax and feel the comfort that's given by the country. As soon as Dearka and Yzak went back to their hotel rooms, the former immediately ditched the formal attire and dressed more casually…a green polo shirt with a black t-shirt underneath, and dark brown pants and black leather shoes. He arranged his hair like what it was like 5 years ago, and it gave him that boy-next-door aura…

He was checking his appearance out when Yzak came in. The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow at what he saw, which meant "What the hell are you doing, Dearka?"

"Hey, wanna go check out the sights? I kept this attire just in case…you know, so that I won't look too formal. It clashes with my good looks." Finished with what he was doing, he posed in front of his comrade in a cocky way. "Well, what do you think? Is it the bomb? Is it fresh? Is it stupid, with a double 'o'?" (A/N: That's one dialogue by Danny from _Danny__Phantom_, and again I don't own that! Hehe…)

"Oh, it's stupid, I'll give you that!" he retorted. "And what gave you that idiotic idea of going outside? Don't you know that it is too dangerous! We're well-known around here!"

"Yzak, Yzak, Yzak…you're telling me that like I never trained in the military; I know some counter-moves, silly! I'll be kicking their asses right before they can lay a pinky finger on me!" Dearka beamed proudly, then exited the room.

"Sigh…and you still act like an immature kid…oi, don't you dare pick up a girl from some whorehouse, got it?!"

Dearka waved a hand back and forth in a lazy fashion. "Yeah, yeah; I'll be bringing along two so that you won't miss the fun and excitement!" he called back. Yzak blushed furiously.

"IDIOT!"

**oOo**

It was already gettind dark, and the snow is starting to fall. Miriallia was walking back home to the suburbs through the park in between the place and the city, and along the way, she was watching the fluffy white balls raining down gently on her…

To some, the snow would be a beautiful masterpiece of nature…just like people; snow that's gently falling's the same as a nice, happy person – so beautiful to look at…

…but if it becomes vicious, snow can also destroy – the same as the people with evil hearts that think of none other than themselves…

Right now, she was taking her time to marvel at the sight…it's so utterly perfect…so breathtakingly beautiful…

**oOo**

"Oh baby, baby…hic…yeah…"

On the opposite side of the park, Dearka was swaying and sashaying back and forth, obviously drunk. He was singing the last song that was played at Honky Tonk…and then he caught sight of someone looking towards the sky. Thanks to his enhanced senses (being a Coordinator), he recognized that someone as a young lady – probably in her early 20's. But because of the effect of the alcohol, he can't see straight – she looked like a pick-up girl to him wearing a very sexy outfit.

Miriallia was yanked out of her utopia by someone wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Right timing for the winds to increase its force, blurring her eyesight.

"Excuse me, but do please get your arm off my shouders cause you darn too heavy!" she spat.

"Aw, come on sweetie…to tell you the truth I've never seen a bitch as uptight as you…now why don't we settle this somewhere else?" His breath reached her nose and she cringed at the smell of alcohol and cigarettes. She pushed Dearka's arm off her…

...and…

"PAK!"

The winds finally ceased, as the sound of the slap echoed throughout the place. Dearka was now facing the other side, and Miriallia's eyes went wide – "That hairstyle…why you're…"

BLAG…

He fainted…

"Dearka!"

**oOo**

Dearka was standing in the middle of darkness, and he was looking around for a way to get out. He was feeling all woozy, obviously from the beer that he drank. "Damn, how many glasses were those…?" He fought the signs of a soon to be headache, and focused on what's in front of him – Yzak will surely blow his top if he knew that he's wasted, and there will be a meeting with Cagalli again tomorrow…he can't go looking all drowsy and irritated.

_What am I gonna do…?_

He then heard something…someone was calling him…

_"Dearka, can you hear me? Wake up!"_

"That voice…"

**oOo**

Meanwhile…

"Dearka, can you hear me? Please open your eyes, and don't fall asleep! It's too dangerous!" Miriallia was mentioning the chill of the atmosphere; it's best if this guy gets back to his place at once. She rubbed her arms and looked at him; she managed to pull him to lean against a wide tree.

"Hnn…" The guy opened his eyes and saw her up close. "You…" was the last thing he said before he fell asleep again.

Miriallia pouted. "Man, I told you not to fall asleep here!" Standing up, she looked around her and asked herself, "What am I gonna do?"

* * *

And that wraps up chapter 7; my apologies if it's so short! The two finally met – in the most amusing of ways, I might add. (sweatdrop) Please leave a review and tell me how you find it so far…see you all in chapter 8! 


	8. Acceptance

**DEARKA'S PERSONAL ****BATTLE**** – **by: LadyAduka02

**Summary: **They met as enemies – and reunited as persons trying to mend their broken hearts. The time has come for Dearka to make his move…but it seemed that Miriallia's still bound to the past…now he's fighting a battle where he may – or may not – win.

**Author's notes: **Oh my God…that was my first reaction when I saw the no. of reviews that DPB has received so far…it's past the 60 review mark! And that's for only 7 chapters! You guys are so great! (nn) Thank you very much for reviewing the past chappy and all my previous chappies…you just don't know how you made this poor little girl so happy! T.T (blows nose)

So without further ado, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

**

* * *

****-CHAPTER EIGHT-**

"What am I going to do with you?" Miriallia asked the unconscious Dearka, kneeling beside him. She was trying to wake him up for the past 5 minutes by trying various methods – inflicting physical pain, yelling into his ears, pinching him, etc…but all didn't work. It was getting cold already, but not as much as before – the snowfall has stopped along with the winds…

Feeling tired herself, she sat on the now snow-covered ground, contemplating on the perfect solution to her problem. His moans got her attention, and she took the time to look at him carefully. Not much has changed…except that he looked more matured than he was 5 years ago.

"But why is he on Earth?" she asked herself. Just then, something fell out of Dearka's pocket, and Miriallia recognized it as his wallet.

Conquered by her curiosity, she took a peek inside…

_Dearka __Elsman__…_

"…diplomat of PLANTS!" she exclaimed. Miriallia was all wide-eyed; she couldn't believe her eyes! She looked from the ID to its owner, who is still snoozing on the snow-covered ground. _Funny, he doesn't look like one,_ she told herself.

"Nevertheless, you should be taken out of this horrible weather. Sigh…another burden to carry home…as if my groceries aren't a burden." Miriallia sighed, turning to her groceries with bags counting up to ten in all, a faint smile on her face.

**ooOOOoo**

"…"

"…wha…where am I?...That smell…"

Dearka slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the bright light above him. He got up, and cringed at the headache which was obviously a hangover from all the beer that he drank last night. The guy observed his surroundings…a cozy bedroom all coated with pink paint and stuff…a girl's room?

Frantic, he looked down at his clothing. The girl seemed to change his clothes as well; he was wearing an oversized blue cotton shirt and baggy white pants with blue spots all over. "Oh my God…" he gasped. "If I'm dressed like this, then…"

"Don't worry I wasn't peeking when I changed your attire," came a woman's voice…a very familiar one to Dearka's ears. Miriallia was standing in the doorway holding a tray of food. "I don't have any intention of seeing a man's body while he's unconscious. I'm not that desperate, you know."

"Oh." was all Dearka could muster at the moment. For some time he couldn't take his eyes off the girl…

_The woman looks a lot like Miriallia…and her voice…_

Sigh…"Thank you."

Miriallia placed the tray down on the bed in front of him, making sure that it won't spill.

"Eat up, you need the energy."

He was happy to oblige, and his stomach seemed to welcome the delicious treat. The woman was watching him with interest, and this caught his attention.

"How did I land him, by the way?"

Miriallia raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't remember anything that happened last night?" A clueless look on his face proved her right. "You were drunk last night and bumped into me. You even mistook me for a slut."

"I did?" he squeaked, and Milly nodded. "Hehe…I'm sorry. I'm a jerk when I'm drunk. By the way, my name's Dearka. What's yours?"

She already knew his name…

"I'm…" but she was cut short by the kettle whistling down the kitchen. "I'll be right back. Call me if you're done." With that, she walked out of the room. Ever the pervert, Dearka was eyeing her rear with interest until…

"I know you're staring at my behind and I advise you to quit it before I throw you out."

"Oops." He smirked. "She's cute…not to mention she's got a nice butt. But her voice and her face…she looks kinda familiar…"

**  
ooOOOoo**

Meanwhile, Miriallia was tending to the stove, and remembered her guest's focus on her rear. If she wasn't mistaken, he was practically drooling. She shook her head. "Men and their hormones…"

**ooOOOoo**

"Man, that was delicious. I should bring these down myself." Dearka rose from the bed, taking the tray with him and was about to go out when he heard his cell phone ringing. It was placed on the desk beside the table lamp, and the LCD showed the caller's name: Yzak.

_I think I know why he's calling me... _"Hello?"

**"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, DEARKA ELSMAN? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT MEETING WITH ****CAGALLI****YULA**** ATTHA TODAY!" **Yzak was screaming at the receiver, and the blond had to get the phone away from his ears in fear that his eardrums would explode. "Do you have any idea on what time it is now?"

He looked at the Hello Kitty wall clock above the bed. "Uh…7:30 am…oh shit! The meeting's in 30 minutes!"

"'Oh shit' is right! Now if you don't get your ass here within 30 minutes, I'll send you packing for the PLANTS!" With that, the line went dead. Dearka closed the phone (think Samsung models) and immediately removed his sleeping attire. He was removing his shirt when Miriallia went back to check if he finished his meal and saw him half-naked. "Eeek!"

"What the – Ah!"

"I'm sorry!" She immediately closed the door, leaning on its smooth finish. Milly could just imagine how red her cheeks are, and tried to erase the memory off her mind. _"I should've knocked, I should've knocked, I SHOULD'VE KNOCKED! What's wrong with me..!" _Immediately, she made her way downstairs to give her guest some privacy.

And yet, she couldn't stop thinking of how gorgeous he was…and this sent a bright red blush onto her cheeks…

Dearka was done changing his clothes, already reverting back to the attire he was wearing last night. The clock ticked 7:45; now he's got 15 minutes to make it to the prime minister's building. He immediately went downstairs and looked for his savior, and found her washing the dishes.

"I have to go now, thanks for all of your help." Miriallia looked at him and nodded in response.

"It was nothing, really. But next time, do slow down on the alcohol, okay?"

Dearka laughed a bit, and nodded. "Okay…thanks again. Goodbye."

The young woman closed the faucet; her task is finished. She was drying her hands with a towel when she heard the doors softly closed, and sighed inwardly. She didn't know if she should feel mad or glad seeing him again…

…he forgot to ask her name…

"…guess he never remembered what I looked like before."

* * *

Yzak literally gave him a good scolding as soon as Dearka went back to the hotel for being 5 minutes late. The two had to bark at the limousine driver to step on the gas pedal – literally – to be able to reach the meeting in time before Cagalli yells at them.

The doors burst open, and they were just in time. Dearka and Yzak made themselves presentable as Cagalli walked inside the room to start the meeting. Behind her are her two bodyguards and comrades – Kisaka and Athrun, now assuming a new identity (A/N: Athrun became Cagalli's personal bodyguard after the series, and he's using another name, which I never knew! Anybody? Thanks a lot!).

"It's a great honor to meet you again, Prime Minister Attha." Yzak addressed the blonde ruler, and she nodded as acknowledgement. "We're from the PLANTS on a task to strengthen the bond between the Earth and the colonies; between the Coordinators and the Naturals."

"Yes, it has come to my knowledge that you're here at Orb for that purpose, and I'm personally very happy that there's finally a way to make our two races come together. At last we can make the dreams of those who died in the war come to a reality." Cagalli looked wistful for a while; she remembered all of her friends who died just to achieve what she said.

"The main problem of our world is the existing discrimination between the Coordinators and the Naturals," she explained. "One just cannot accept the existence of the other, and vice versa, for so many reasons: that the other is far more superior than the other, that the other just has more abilities…the list goes on and on."

Dearka remembered the first encounter that he had with the Naturals up close – the time when Miriallia tried to stab him to death. Her reason wasn't because of her insecurity and envy towards his own kind, after all she's friends with Kira even though he's a Coordinator. It was because…

_"Tolle's gone, and he's never coming back..!"_

_Never coming back…_

_…coming back…_

"Coordinators or Naturals, we have to make them understand that they are still of the same kind, as human beings," he told the people present at the meeting. "We may have differences, but we are the same when it comes to wishing for a peaceful world to live in. If we can just make our people accept the fact that we need each other to survive and live happily in this life, the world that those soldiers fought for, that the people died for and sacrificed for – will be in our reach."

"That's the thing that is lacking among our two races…" Cagalli smiled, impressed by Dearka's speech. "Unity and acceptance."

**  
ooOOOoo**

It was a breezy pre-Christmas afternoon, and Miriallia was making herself beautiful.

Applying just light makeup and cherry lipgloss, she gave herself a final look before she can go out. She let her hair down and smiled at herself – he's surely gonna like her look.

She's changed from the little-girl-look of 5 years ago to a matured and intelligent woman…

"Wait for me…" she whispered.

**ooOOOoo**

The meeting was over, with Cagalli promising that her government will do everything it can to support Yzak's and Dearka's goal.

Right now, their limousine is taking them back to the hotel, speeding along the city's highway. The Christmas lights are starting to fill the city streets with their vibrant colors, and their radiance is reflected on the tinted windows of the vehicle.

"The people of Earth can still celebrate the Yuletide season despite problems," Yzak remarked. "They're trying to forget the pain of the past war by immersing themselves in the effect of the holiday spirit."

"Mmm." Dearka hummed in agreement, staring at the window. After a few minutes they found themselves in the middle of a long traffic. Yzak was starting to get impatient, and tried to pass the time away by tapping his fingers onto the leather fabric of the backseat. His companion was still silent…

…until…

"It's her!" he suddenly exclaimed, which startled his friend. Dearka's face showed total excitement; he looked like a kid…

"Who's her?" Yzak interrogated. "Dearka!"

"The woman I told you about! Wait here!" and he got out of the vehicle, and raced after her.

Yzak watched Dearka squeeze between the cars, ran past a few pedestrians before disappearing out of sight range. "What's the matter with him?"

The crowd was thick, but the blond Coordinator still managed to track down Miriallia in the middle of them all. He was wondering where she was headed, and about her outfit…she was wearing an all-black ensemble. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she was carrying a bouquet of white roses.

"Is she going to some kind of a funeral?" he asked herself.

A guy bumped into him, and he was immediately swept by the people going on the opposite way. It took him a while to get out of them all, and when he did…she was gone.

"I'm here," Miriallia told a gray tombstone in front of her, none other than Tolle's tombstone. She placed the roses before it, stood up and said a silent prayer…

The winds were gentle that time of the day, it seems like Tolle's spirit appreciated her presence. When she finished praying, Miriallia was already crying.

"This is the 5th Christmas season that we haven't celebrated together," she began, thinking that the boy was standing before her. "So much has changed, Tolle. And I know that you know what those changes are." Leaves flew gracefully with the winds, and the tears that escaped the corners of her eyes flew along with them. "It has been so lonely without you…and I don't think I can live my life like the way it was before…I love you so much, Tolle…"

Footsteps were heard from behind, and she turned around. Dearka was standing a few meters away, looking at her with surprise. The winds ceased to blow, and silence fell among the place…

He recognized those tear-streaked eyes…he has seen her cry a lot of times aboard the Archangel…and the name that she mention…he's not mistaken…

He knew who she was…

"M-Miriallia…Miriallia Haww…"

* * *

And that's the eight chapter! Hope you enjoyed that one, and sorry for the long update! Exam's a pain…(groans) See y'all in chapter nine-Dylan 


	9. Broken Hearts on Christmas Eve

**DEARKA'S PERSONAL BATTLE **by LadyAduka02

**Author's Notes: **I'm finally back after a long time of hibernation! (sweatdrops) Before I present theninth chapter, I'd like to thank you all for making this fic reach over 80+ reviews! (bows down) I'm glad that all of you liked DPB…and rest assured that this fic's gonna get more interesting!

Now I'll stop stalling, and hereby present to you the ninth chapter! Enjoy! (n-n)

_(07/12/2005: Lmao, I had a little oopsie with the chapter's order...this is chapter nine, everyone! Thousand apologies! Enjoy this chappie!)_

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER NINE

* * *

For a moment, time seemed to freeze, and stood witness as two lost souls reunited after being separated by their different lives for so long…

But if you ask Dearka, this was not the kind of reunion that he was expecting to happen…

"You're the woman who took me in last night…the woman at the park, staring at the sky…" he muttered. "Miriallia…I…"

Mir wiped the tears from her eyes, bowed her head and walked away from Tolle's tombstone and past the blond Coordinator. Dearka's mind was yelling at him to stop her from leaving…but the rest of his body won't cooperate, and so he just stood there shocked. After his past experiences with her and her grief, he knew when to stay away.

He slowly walked over to where she previously was, and read the inscription on the marble slab:

_T__olle__…died in the year C.E. 71…you shall be forever remembered…_

"She's still not over him yet then…"

And with that, the cold winds of Christmas Eve started to blow once more, reflecting the sadness that was in Dearka's heart…

* * *

Yzak looked up from the laptop's monitor when his partner came back to their hotel room. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing his appearance: his hair was wind-tossed and had snowflakes on it, his shoulders were slumped and his face expression looked like he was denied of something that he dearly liked. 

Of course, the last part was true, referring to Dearka's state right now…

"What took you so long, Elsman? Let me guess, that woman you saw dumped you or something?"

Dearka sighed. "Nah, we just…met at a wrong place and time…"

"Who is she?" Yzak asked, getting intrigued. His comrade allowed himself to fall on the single-seater sofa in exhaustion and looked at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"Remember the Natural girl that I spoke to you about years ago?"

"You mean, Miriallia Haww?"

"Uh-huh."

"So what about her?"

He sighed, and closed his eyes…remembering her angelic face. "She's the woman who took me in last night. She's the woman whom I saw this afternoon…" _And she's still the same woman who never grew tired crying over her dead Natural boyfriend…_

"Tch…I thought you have already forgotten all about her. Get over it, Dearka. You have too many things to fix, and that Miriallia is out of the question. I mean, you're one of the diplomats of PLANTS, for Pete's sake!" Yzak scratched his head in annoyance and went into his room, took his laptop with him, and closed the door on the man sitting in the living room. Dearka never paid any attention to the message that he gave him; rather, his attention was on the tear-stricken lady who captured his heart so long ago…

…and never failed in doing it once again…

* * *

Miriallia looked up from the teacup that she was holding to look at the wall clock that was hung at the dining room… 

"10:30 p.m…" she said to herself.

Only an hour and a half left before Christmas, and yet she wasn't feeling the holiday spirit at all. Christmas was fun when the whole gang was still complete…Kira, Fllay, Sai, Kazui, her, and Tolle…

They used to go out to the mall and wait for the countdown to shout "Merry Christmas!" along with tens of thousands of yuletide fanatics, and she used to hug her only man and whisper that greeting softly into his ear…

With all the things that happened five years ago, this occasion seemed…empty…

**RING..!**

**RING..!**

"The phone…!"

The sound of the chair rubbing against the floor…

The sound of hopeful footsteps…

**CLICK…**

"…Hello?"

"_Merry Christmas, Mir!"_

"Sai! Merry Christmas…I'm so glad that you called!" And she was happy indeed – a pretty smile was on her face as she held the receiver close to her ear.

"_Good thing I caught you still in the house…listen, do you want to go out with me and Kazui tonight? We're going to the mall, just like the old times! I heard that the management will be hosting a really grand Christmas countdown at the __Orb Square__!"_

That was when she remembered the presents that she bought earlier… now's the chance that she can give them!

"_So…do you want to come?"_

Without any second thoughts, she nodded. "Yeah. I'd love to Sai."

* * *

"_Fantastic! We'll see you at the park then! Take care!"_

And there she was, her long auburn hair let down to provide warmth to her freezing nape, and if that wasn't enough she wrapped a warm red scarf around her neck. She was wearing a black coat lined with white fur, which reached down below her knees; black stockings and a pair of nice brown boots. Beneath her coat, she wore a red dress thick enough to keep out the cold from her system. Her glove-covered hands were tucked inside her pockets, and her green eyes searched the area hopefully for any sight of her friends.

White wisps of smoke came out of her mouth everytime she exhaled, and she was slowly getting impatient. In order to fight the loneliness and depression that's slowly taking control over her, she kept herself amused by watching the lovely flakes of snow descending from the heavens…onto the brightly-illuminated, high-spirited city…

* * *

_"I'm…dreaming of a white Christmas…"_

Dearka was watching the people of Orb from above, as they slowly huddled in front of the giant digital clock which displayed the minutes that were remaining before Christmas. He cannot sleep…and he can't help but envy Yzak who was snoring softly in the other room.

The park which was in front of the mall (which was located in front of the hotel) was filled with people all waiting for the midnight to strike, and as they waited they kept on chattering with each other, greeting each other "Merry Christmas!" in advance…

_How depressing,_ he thought. _I wish I could have someone whom I can share the holiday spirit with…_

And then, he saw her…

Even though their pad was located literally 18 stories above the ground, he was sure that the woman below was none other than Miriallia. He saw her stop in front of the grand fountain in the middle of the park, head turning side by side slowly, as if she was looking for someone. He saw her rub her glove-covered palms to keep out the cold from her hands, and she was hugging herself to keep warm.

A small smirk made its way on his lips. _Thank you, Santa Claus…!_

* * *

It was already 30 minutes past eleven. Christmas is fast approaching, and still no sign of Sai or Kazui or anybody that she knew. Miriallia was starting to get impatient, and the temptation to go home and sleep the holiday away was strong. While contemplating whether to go home or not, she never noticed the footsteps that were coming towards her, and the motion of the crowd before her masked the identity of its owner. 

It seemed that the holiday spirit wasn't kind towards her, either…

…or it's just its way of showing that she was never forgotten…

* * *

"Hello, Miriallia." 

That greeting snapped her out of her train of thoughts. She immediately looked up… "Sai?"

This earned a raised eyebrow from the stranger, and cost her quite a shock upon seeing who it was.

"Dearka…" she muttered, tone disappointed.

"Are you waiting for Sai Argyle?" he asked, while looking around the place as well.

"Yeah…what are you doing here?"

"Well, my hotel's just across the park, and I was watching the commotion from my room at the 18th floor," he motioned to one of the windows at the hotel, "and I can't help but join in."

"I see."

"Oh yeah…" He reached for something inside his coat pocket, and when he pulled it out, Miriallia saw that it was a small, dark red rectangular box, nicely decorated with a medium-sized white ribbon. "Here. Tradition has it that we must give gifts during Christmas, right?"

Miriallia did not take the box immediately; instead she gave Dearka a puzzled expression. He sighed. "You sure are a slow one. It's for you." He shoved the gift towards her. "Merry Christmas."

She stared at it for a few moments, contemplating whether to receive it or to decline it. But it seems that only her mind was working…her hands seemed to have a will of its own. Seconds later, the box was in her hands.

"Thank you…I guess."

Dearka inserted his hands into his dark-green coat, and smiled at her. "Go ahead and open it." Miriallia sat down and unwrapped the box, and when she lifted the cover, her emerald green eyes widened at the sight of a simple silver necklace.

"I was in a hurry to get down here…if I had a lot of time I would've made sure that you get the finest from all of Orb's jewelry shops – "

"It's beautiful, you…you shouldn't have bothered. But," she hung her head down, looking at the pavement. "I don't have anything to give to you in return. I promise the very next day, I'll – "

Dearka's index finger shushed her when she looked up, interrupting her explanation. Soft lavender eyes met confused emerald green ones. "I wasn't expecting a gift in return, Miriallia. Frankly, it never crossed my mind when I bought that necklace. Just...take care of it, okay?"

She removed his finger from her lips and nodded. "I will. Thank you."

His heart almost leapt out of his rib cage when she gave him a sweet smile.

_Yeah right, you weren't expecting anything in return, eh Elsman?_

_Yeah, I wasn't…materially…_

_Her smile is more than enough for me._

* * *

"Miriallia!" A familiar voice caught both their attention, and she and Dearka saw Sai and Kazui making their way through the crowd. When they finally reached the couple, a string of apologies was let loose and all the while, Mir shook her head while saying... 

"It's all right. Really. At least you made it before twelve, right?"

"I'm really sorry; I mean, I was the one who invited you in the first place!" Sai explained, scratching his head.

Kazui nodded. "We're sorry we took so long Mir, we had to stop by at the military base to fetch Kira."

Dearka and Miriallia were surprised. "Kira?"

And at that moment, Kira Yamato stepped in between her two guy friends and smiled warmly. He looked exactly the same like he did five years ago. Except that his expression seemed to have matured over the years, and he also grew a few inches taller…

"It's nice to see you again, Mir."

"It's nice to see you too again, Kira."

Dearka took this as a cue to leave. "They're already here, Miriallia. I guess I should go – "

"Aren't you going to stay for the countdown?" Kazui asked right when he was about to turn around. "It's the highlight tonight!"

"No thanks, man." He smiled at Miriallia. "Have fun tonight."

And right before she could reply, he walked away from the group. _"My mission is done."_ He smirked at nobody else in particular. _"At least, she won't be alone anymore - "_

"Dearka, wait!"

Miriallia raced after him, after excusing herself from the group, and grabbed his arm. He stopped walking and faced her. She smiled. "I'm…I'm glad you're here tonight. Thank you for accompanying me."

Before he could react, Miriallia already stood on her toes and gave him a thank you kiss on the cheek.

At that moment, he was sure that his face turned darker than its usual tone.

* * *

And it was in that moment when the event officials finally announced that they were going to start the countdown. The crowd began to chant the remaining seconds. "Five…four…three…two…ONE!" The giant monitor attached in front of New Orb Mall displayed "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" in red and green hues, while the sky was adorned with tens of magnificent fireworks. 

Kira, Sai and Kazui all shouted the holiday greetings and rejoiced.

Around them, the atmosphere was all hyper and exciting.

Christmas has finally arrived.

* * *

"Merry Christmas, Dearka." 

"Merry Christmas too, Miriallia."

And as they continued to watch the fireworks display, he gently held her hand in his…

…and she never objected.

She squeezed his hand tighter.

_"Merry Christmas to you too, Tolle…"_

* * *


End file.
